Wings of Spirit
by Blackwolfhunting
Summary: Sequel to Wings of a Brother! He lived through many things in his life. He goes through many to learn his limits and to find the one that keeps him alive. Now he has time to go back over his life and realize exactly what it was that led it all to where he was now. Be warned that this one has attempted rape in it. Read at your own risk. One-Shot! Complete!


Wings of Spirit

She was the odd dove out of her family.

The third child out of four.

She was the only one in her family that was not a Yasei no Chirashi, or a Feral Flyer. She was no ruled by her instincts and she was not controlled by the feelings that came along with them. It was a terrifying thought to her that she could have been controlled by such instincts.

Especially after watching all of her siblings fall to those instincts.

Her parents had been lucky to meet another Yasei no Chirashi. They had both been young, in their mid-teens, and had mated only a year later. They had waited to have children though and so had flown around the world before returning to their hometown of Namimori in Japan.

There they had settled down and had their first child, Takuya, who had taken after their father with great brown falcon wings that were a soft golden brown in the down. He was a Yasei no Chirashi and had out flown all in his school and began flying when he was six.

The second child had been a girl, her older sister with the name Himiko. She had taken after their mother with her dark brown eagle wings that had out spanned their brother's in length. She had begun flying when she was seven and had taken to trick flying as often as she could. She too was a Yasei no Chirashi.

Her Youngest brother had been born, his name had been Takeshi, and he had taken after their grandfather with dark black eagle wings. He had begun flying at four and had out flown both the elder Yasei no Chirashi siblings without only a single wingbeat to his name. He had been the best out of them all without even batting an eye.

Then there had been her, the third child that had pleased her parents greatly.

She had been born without those extra instincts and so had been a regular flying like most of the population of the world. She didn't need to worry about being over ran with her emotions or instincts like her parents and siblings needed to.

The only real remarkable thing about her was the fact that she had been born with her grandmother's wings. Bright white dove wings that had gifted her with her name.

Sawada Hikari.

She didn't start flying until she was almost fifteen and only because Takuya thought it would be funny to push her off the cliff to give her a jumpstart.

He didn't find the yelling and lecture from their parents very funny that night but Hikari did.

She grew up in her family as the odd one out as she couldn't fly like them and could keep up. Her siblings all made fun of her for being slow and clumsy in the air, but as her mother had told her, compared to any Feral Flyer she would be clumsy. Anyone would be clumsy except for another Feral and she knew that.

So, she never took the teasing to heart and instead just flew her best and the way she felt most comfortable.

She didn't realize how lucky she was to be born a normal flyer until after her eldest brother passed away just after his eighteenth birthday.

She had known that every individual would eventually have to find a flight partner, someone to fly with in the sky until they could find a mate. Which could take years to do for any normal individual.

With Yasei no Chirashi though, they needed to find someone to fly with on their level. They needed another Yasei no Chirashi to fly with.

They were already so rare and even though flying with a family flock could substitute for a time, it couldn't last forever. The feral would eventually need to find a mate that could match them or suffer the consequences.

Her brother hadn't been able to find a mate.

He fell from the sky while flying.

They said he was dead before he hit the ground.

Their parents had been saddened but unsurprised of their eldest's fate. They had known the risks when they had conceived with all of their children and so had made sure they all knew the risks of being Yasei no Chirashi. They didn't worry for Hikari though and knew that she herself would be fine.

Though that didn't make it any easier when their second child too failed to find a suitable partner.

Not from lack of trying either. Himiko had gone out on dates with boy and girl alike. She tried so hard to find someone that could balance her and keep her instincts in check, but she too failed.

She died in bed with her girlfriend of a year. She had lasted a year longer than their brother and died at nineteen. Himiko's girlfriend had screamed and cried, trying to shake the other awake but knowing it would be of no use.

Apparently, they thought that Chi's love and ability to fly with Himiko would keep her alive.

They had been proven wrong. Horribly so.

Himiko hit eighteen and then nineteen without a hitch. She fun partying with her friends and flying with her flight partner at the time. It was a great time, especially when her parents and little brother joined in on the flight.

She was twenty-seven, happily married, waiting on her first child, and settling into their new home in Arizona that she received the call from her mother.

Takeshi had just turned eighteen a month ago and had been excited about the news of his older sister being pregnant. He had been all smiles and wiggling wings and soft coos and chirps as he rubbed his face against her stomach.

He had asked her if she was going to name the baby after him, because he was great and there was always a need for another Takeshi.

She had laughed and told him that the world couldn't handle two Takeshi's. One was trouble enough.

She regretted that now.

He had dropped to the ground during breakfast with their parents. They hadn't been able to revive him.

When her baby arrived and he had a poof of jet black hair and dark downy wings, she hadn't hesitated a second.

Shirogane Takeshi had joined the world and she prayed to all that was heavenly and all that was kind and good in the world that her baby boy would not be a Yasei no Chirashi like her siblings and parents.

The chances were good since she had married another normal flyer and he didn't have any Feral flyers on his side. At least, not that he knew of within the last few generations.

She smiled at the thought of her mate, a man from America and a Navy Seal. He had the wings of a Puffin, a black that reminded her of her youngest brother's, but with a much shorter wingspan that were more suited to diving into the water and swimming submerged when needed. His name was Mizuno and he was a well fought Admiral Chief by the time he was honorably discharged due to an attack that had cost him his right leg and left arm.

She had been saddened that his career had been ended so and more so when his injuries were revealed to her. That didn't stop her from being happy that he would be home for their first son's arrival into the world.

Seeing Mizuno holding Takeshi had warmed a part of her heart that had died, had brought a part of her missing family back, and she couldn't wait to show off her child to her parents.

They made a plan and set it into motion, visiting Japan to see both their parents and show off their child with pride.

They went to Mizuno's childhood home first. They were received happily, and the child was given blessings by everyone there. Blessed with hopes of a good health, a happy rearing, and strong wings to carry him in the sky.

She was so happy that he was accepted into the Shirogane family without a fuss and proud that the was so healthy and happy.

She couldn't wait to introduce him to her own parents, who she hadn't been able to get into contact with before they made the trip over.

Which was fine. It would just be a happy surprise for them when they arrived.

Only it hadn't been happy.

It had ripped her open when she had turned up to her house, only to find it splattered with blood and feathers.

It took a phone call to the police and a trip to the nearby mortuary to find out what had happened.

Her parents had died a month after Takeshi had died.

He mother from cancer and her father from losing her.

This made her just pray even harder that her son would not suffer from the same fate as the rest of her family.

WS

He knew that he should tell her, but Shiro had known since he had been older enough to understand.

His mother didn't want him to be a Yasei no Chirashi.

His aunt and uncles had all died from being Feral Flyers and his grandparents had suffered similar fates as well. He knew all of this and he knew his mother didn't want him to be one as well.

But at the age of four, Shiro had known that the spirit of the sky had been in him and he had flown for the first time by himself in the dead of the night.

The sky overhead had sparkled down on his jet-black feathers and he felt like he was flying among the stars. The wind had caressed his wings and face and he had laughed and crowed in joy.

He didn't tell his mother.

He didn't tell his father.

He didn't tell anyone what he was when he had been admitted to the Garrison for training as a Fighter Pilot.

Which was probably a bad idea as he looked at all the other teens standing around him at the moment. Fidgeting to get up in the air and fly with others and choose a partner that was an equal to them.

Shiro already knew that none of them were going to be able to keep up with him.

He shook his head though as they were released into the sky and he flew above and before all of them. He didn't need a running start and he didn't need time to gain altitude and speed. He had it all in a single flap of his eagle wings, inherited from his mother's side of the family.

He performed barrel rolls and flips and loops and dives that got him so close to the ground that he could brush his nose against it if he wanted to. He could hear others trying to keep up with him, but they weren't able to. He could hear their irritated squawks and screeches, as if demanding him to slow down and allow them to fly with him.

He growled low in his throat as he thought about even slowing down a second. He wasn't going to do it. If they couldn't keep up with him then there was no point of them being his partner in any shape or form.

With that he collapsed his wings enough to come to an abrupt stop midair, swung himself around to face the on comers, and flew straight into them with a challenging trill.

They scattered.

He roared in victory as he flapped there by himself for some time. Eventually though, he had to land and come to the realization that he didn't have a partner and that he had most likely doomed himself to the same fate that his uncles and aunt had suffered.

WS

It was pure chance when he met Adam during one of his late-night flights.

He had been doing lazy loop de loops and dives, clearing his head and trying to corral all the instincts in him that was constricting his chest. It was painful and he knew that if he didn't find a flight partner that could match him, then it would only get worse.

It wasn't fair either since he was only half a year from graduating and flying up into the stars. A place he had dreamed about for months before his acceptance into the program five years ago when he had been twelve. He was even already being scouted for several space trips and he was looking forward to them.

He knew though that if his instincts took a hold of him, he'd drop dread like the rest of his mom's family had before him.

He gave an irritated screech at the thought before diving down towards the ground, folding his wings tightly against his back so he could get that rush. It always made something in him sing out and cry in joy. It gave him a sense of relief that lasted hours after landing on the ground.

It was just a second before he would crash that he slammed his wings out and soared back up into the sky he came to a stop and flapped his wings periodically to stay in one place. He breathed deeply as he enjoyed the breeze against his face and the sense of fulfillment.

It seemed like a century when he felt and heard the wingbeats just off to his right. He opened his eyes and stared at the figure that was looking at him with a tilted head. Dark dark skin and bright amber eyes behind square wire glasses. He had dark blonde hair and wore the Garrison cadet uniform but from the badge he wore, he was a year older. His wings were a light brown barn owl's that swooshed heavily against the winds. "I've only seen one other person fly like that before and he died just after he turned eighteen."

Shiro grimaced at that before huffing a breath out. "I don't see how that's concerning to me." He stated as he turned and took off into the air.

He flew for only a few seconds before realizing that he had this guy on his tail the entire time. He glanced back and watched as those wide wings flapped, keeping up with him but not trying to push past him.

That tickled something and he dove down into a steep dive but kept his wings out just a bit to slow the descent from what he normally did.

He pulled up a few seconds later, watching underneath his body to see that the other had followed the path almost identically but with some modifications so that he came up back to trailing behind him.

He blinked at that before rolling, watching as the other did the same.

It turned into a game for Shiro, seeing if the other could follow him as closely as possible but still allowing Shiro to lead him.

Something in his chest settled after long minutes of the other following him. He smiled as he allowed himself to fall back so that he was flying right next to the other, brushing their wing tips against each other. "My name is Shiro, what's yours?"

"Adam." The other replied with a smile as he brushed his tips against Shiro's once more. "Looking for a flight partner?"

Shiro gave a bright grin in return.

WS

His eighteenth birthday passed by easily and happily. He waited for something in him to go wrong or to not wake up one day.

Nothing happened though.

His instincts had been nothing but calm since he met Adam and flew with him. He felt a sense of joy and excitement he hadn't felt before every time they flew together.

It only got better when Keith joined them and took flights with them as well months before his eighteenth birthday. He also got the boy into the Garrison, later than most, but still in the program to keep him out of trouble and give him a path to take. The sixteen-year-old fit in among several of his peers but refused to fly with anyone at the moment. From what Iverson told him though, the teen would be placed among the younger flyers of the grade he'd been put in so that he had a chance of getting a Flight Partner. Though Keith didn't seem all that concerned about it in the first place.

It would all be okay. He knew it would be and he smiled happily as he looked at Adam, sleeping next to him in their bed. Both had taken jobs at the Garrison once they had graduated, Shiro had graduated a year early by working his ass off to pass all the required tests and exams and homework.

Now he was happily flying off planet several times and he had even been recruited for a major mission set for within the year. Kerberos was a distant planet and one needed the skills and set determination to make it there. It would take six months for them to get there and then stay there for a year before returning after another six-month travel. It would be long but worth it in the end.

A tightening in his chest made him cough.

He wasn't expecting the blood in his palm and paled at its appearance.

WS

It was an accident while they were flying that it happened.

Shiro lost control.

He had never heard of something like this happening before, but he wasn't surprised that it had happened to begin with. He was nearing just six months after his eighteenth birthday and his instincts were so weird and terrifying.

They were raving back and forth between an instinct to run or to fight. It was getting harder and harder to control and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to survive like this, a limbo that was tearing him apart little by little.

It was only made much worse when he went flying.

Like he was now with Adam at his side.

"Takeshi? Are you okay?" The owl winged flyer questioned as he watched the other's face switch between emotions rapidly. "What's going on?"

Shiro went to speak but a throb in his chest overwhelmed him at that moment and his wings spasmed.

And then there was nothing.

"Takeshi?" Adam questioned as he looked at the eagle wings, taking in the spasms that quickly stopped. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" He called out, brushing their wing tips together to try and bring him back to their flight.

Only to screech in pain as Shiro's much bigger wings slammed into his own, knocking him out of balance. "Shiro!" He screeched as he slammed his wings downwards to try and rebalance himself. Only to scream as he was attacked from above, feet slamming against his back as angered screeches rained against his ears. "What the hell are you doing!" Distressed chirps rolled out of his mouth.

Shiro's head reared back as a rumbling screech flew into the air, his wings flaring out just as he slammed a foot down onto one of Adam's wings.

A crack echoed into the air just as Adam began to fall to the earth with a terrified screech.

"SHIRO!" Adam screamed as he flipped himself so that his back was facing the ground instead of his front. He'd rather have a broken back then to splatter his head on the ground if he could.

Shiro himself shook his head as he looked around, trying to figure out what had happened as he took in his stationary form. "Adam?" He asked.

"SHIROOOOOO!"

His head snapped down and he gasped in horror as he watched Adam's decent. "ADAM!" He dove steeply, heading straight to the flailing owl.

"SHIRO!" Adam yelled as he flared his working wing and reached his hands out towards the bigger male.

Shiro ignored the harsh winds against his eyes and instead reached for Adam. He couldn't allow the other man to fall to the earth and hit. Adam was the only thing keeping him somewhat sane.

He wouldn't allow it!

With that in mind he tucked his wings further and made a dart for the other. "Grab my hand!" He screamed, snapping his hand into Adam's.

"Shiro!" He pled as he grabbed hold of the other's hand. "Don't let me fall!"

"I won't!" He stated as he pulled the other into his arms before snapping his wings out and flapping furiously.

He didn't let Adam hit the ground.

But he couldn't stop the man from leaving him after that.

WS

Shiro sighed as he took a deep breath, staring out at the expanse of black and purple and the sparkling skies of the astral plain. It was a gorgeous sight and something he could get used to, but it wasn't something he wanted to get used to.

He wanted to be with the team and with his mate. He wanted to be out of the Lion and out fighting against the Galra. He should lead them and defeating those that were out to destroy the universe.

But he was stuck here, with Black, because he had died, and his body had disintegrated from the pressure of all their combined attacks.

He breathed in deeply, inhaling the sparkling stars from the sky.

He thought back, back to when he first entered into the arena. Fighting for his life against that monster and then fighting another monster and another monster and another monster.

It was a never-ending battle with little rest, food, and water in between battles. The only real sleep he had gotten was when he was unconscious on Haggar's table, getting his handy dandy new robotic slicing arm.

God, Lance was rubbing off on him.

It was only thanks to Ulaz he escaped at all. He would have died in the arena otherwise. It was all a thankful lucky thing that he had gotten away. He had to make it through hallways to get to the escape pods mostly on his own. Ulaz gave him the path but he had to forge his own way through.

Waking up in the desert at Keith's itty-bitty cabin had been the first coherent memory he had after his escape. Waking up to see Keith's face was a blessing that he would never forget. He had hugged the teen after he had woken, cloaking them in his wings so that he could hide from the world for a little bit.

After that, he had met the others.

Hunk was a bit of a coward that vomited at the littlest turbulence. He was also kind and willing to help those around him, no matter how dangerous the situation got.

Pidge was the daughter and sister of the scientists that he had taken with him on Kerberos. Obsessed and single minded with a lack of healthy habits. She was also brilliant and he believed that if she really put her mind to it, she could destroy the Galra all on her own with just her computer at her side.

Keith was hot head and short tempered, unwilling to ask questions first and likely to attack first. He also played brilliantly with his instincts and followed them bravely, allowing them to see things that no one else could.

Allura was bossy and could hold a grudge with the best of them. She was also a brilliant politician and knew exactly what was needed to be able to lead them against the Galra efficiently.

Coran was a nut job who had strange ideas and even stranger stories. But he was a great mechanic and a great medic when they were all in need. Not to mention he had no problem giving them advice when things weren't looking all that great.

Lance was a bigheaded, arrogant, self-centered, self-absorbed, and inconsiderate person. He refused to join in the grooming sessions and refused to fly with them, despite the unavoidable turnout if he didn't. Then he was kind and caring and brave and sweet and had all of their backs no matter what happened. He would give his life for theirs if they needed him too and Shiro prayed he never would.

He had his wings butchered from his back and had been mutilated from his life. He had lost the ability to fly but he had continued on to try and fly again in a much different way. He had never given up and he would never give up because flying was all he ever was. It was all he would ever be even without his wings.

Lance was a Yasei no Chirashi.

Which was a godsend when the boy got his wings back by some miracle. Gorgeous blue wings that fit the other's personality like a glove.

Then he flew with him. High into the sky of the planet they were on. Twisting and turning and diving and swooping and they flew like a fated pair.

This must've been what his grandparents had felt when they flew together. So in sync with another person that they hadn't needed to rehearse or practice their movements a single time.

This is what it meant to have a mate so in tune with him that he could hardly believe it.

They performed loop de loops and barrel rolls and dives and swoops and so many other techniques that he couldn't believe that this teen knew them. He knew that he knew them because of what he was and now he knew for a fact that Lance was the same. He moved just like him and they were in sync and he was already so in love.

It got even better when Lance allowed him to grip his forearms, and his own were grabbed as well. They tipped over and began to fall to the earth, their foreheads coming together. He could feel a hole in his chest fill as he returned coos and trills to the other, a gentle rumbling flooding from his chest. It was all so perfect, and it ended even more perfect when they came to a stop just an inch off the ground.

He could only screech victoriously with his mate as they all flared their wings with him.

It had all been so perfect and continued to be when he took the other later that night and made him permanently his.

That hole was no longer there. His nightmares stopped. Lance slept through the night enclosed in his arms and surrounded by his wings.

It had been all so perfect, even with the little trouble that Lance had when others touched his wings.

He sighed as he looked back out at the black and purple of his current world. It wasn't perfect now and he knew that.

Lance suffered for a long time because he had lost him. Had fallen into a feral state that he wasn't supposed to escape from.

He only survived because Shiro had used his bond with Black and his bond with Lance to bond the two together. He had made sure that Lance would survive, even if Shiro couldn't be next to him.

A roar and a screech of pure anger rang around him, startling Shiro so badly that his eagle wings flared behind him and he bared his teeth.

He didn't know what was going on, but he knew that Lance was angry and terrified.

That was all Shiro needed to know.

WS

"You have to listen to me!" Lance screeched to the team, pleading them with his eyes as he swung himself around. "That's not Shiro!"

"You've been saying this for months Lance." Pidge grumbled as she glared at him. "That's Shiro and we know it because you're standing in front of us, alive."

"There's no other reason for you to come out of the Feral state like you did." Allura agreed with a nod. "The Black Lion must have known he was alive and connected the two of you when you were in distress."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Lance continued to screech as his feathers fluffed up and flared behind him. With the new length and color of his wings, he looked even more intimidating than before and he was much more dangerous as well. "Besides! If that was true, why did she wait so long to connect us? What was the point of waiting all that time and only doing so when I was on the cusp of death?"

"Maybe that was why." Coran pondered as he twisted his mustache. "We couldn't lose another paladin and the Black Lion must have known that Allura would be able to pilot the Blue Lion."

Lance growled low in his throat as he continued to try and come up with a way to convince the others. He had held back on the real truth of why he knew that clone was a fake, though. He wasn't sure how the others would take it and he wasn't sure how to explain it. It was all so confusing, and it didn't help that this shitty clone and he were always fighting and arguing as well.

He knew that true mates argued, everyone did, but not like he was doing with the clone. Not outright fighting over the leader position of Voltron. It didn't help that the Blade had taken Keith for a mission as well and so he had no one to try and back him up either.

Not that Keith would have. He was much too overjoyed to have something that looked like Shiro back in his life to even think that it was a fake.

"Hunk, please." He begged his friend as he turned to the white owl winged individual, hoping his best buddy would side with him.

Hunk gave a nervous smile. "It is weird that he just suddenly showed back up like he did." He agreed. "Like he was just dropped on our doorstep just before we caught Lotor."

Lance smiled at that as he nodded and turned back to the others. "Look, Shiro would have never snuck the Black Bayard from me and given it to Lotor. He would have never lied about where he was going with a pod and he would have never gone behind our backs to try and make Lotor the Emperor."

"But we lost Shiro for a while." Pidge pointed out as she arched a brow. She turned back to her computer. "It's not impossible that he could have changed from more trauma under the hands of the Galra. People change from things like that, you would know that Lance, more than any of us."

It was obvious that her glance at his wings were meant to make a point, but it just pissed him off. He growled at her as he folded them against his back tightly. He wasn't going to give her another inch on that subject.

"I think that proves my point." She looked back down at her laptop.

"She's right about that dude." Hunk agreed with a shrug at his betrayed look. "You changed majorly after your wings were destroyed. More secluded and secretive and careful. I can't blame you for it but it happened."

This was just making him furious and he screeched at them. How could they not believe him, after all he had done for them and all they had been through. "I WAS HIS MATE!" He screamed at them as tears flooded down his cheeks and his eyes began to glow purple, wings following the same curving patterns of power as they flared back out. "I WAS HIS MATE! DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD KNOW IF HE WAS DEAD OR IF THAT WAS HIM!?"

With that, he left the common room and disappeared. He wanted nothing to do with them when they dispersed back out to the Galra command center that Lotor had settled on and invited them to.

It was all a trap and Lance knew it.

But no one believed him.

No one listened to him.

No one had his back or his side or his front.

He was all alone and he knew it.

The only person he had was trapped inside of Black and that was the closest he was going to get to him for the rest of his days.

WS

He sensed something was wrong.

"Black? What's going on out there?" He questioned as he looked around the plain, watching as it shimmered like a ripple in water. Something was happening with Lance and it wasn't good.

A rumble came his way, unhappy and worried. Shiro frowned as he turned around, trying to see if something would change and show him what was going on. It only continued to shimmer, and Black continued to rumble.

WS

"Black, it's getting out of hand." Lance groaned as he leaned against the nose of the Lion. She was leaned down to meet him and he happily leaned there and pressed his hands and face to her, trying to cool his burning eyes.

And it truly was.

Lotor and Allura had gone into the White Hole, where the Altean bridge or lab or ancient civilization or whatever it was, was located. They were going to try and learn some Altean Alchemy that would make them stronger.

Something that Lotor didn't need to have.

He was already strong on his own and having more power at his fingerprints and he didn't need more than that. It would just be more towards his plan that Lance had yet to figure out.

"They aren't listening to me." He clenched his eyes shut. "Keith isn't here to talk to, still out on that stupid Blade mission, out of contact. Kolivan isn't of any help either, especially since he is recruiting other Galra's into the Blade now that he has an in." He scoffed at the reminder. Everyone was taking advantage of this and it was going to blow up in their face. "What am I going to do Black?"

"Lance?"

His eyes snapped open at that familiar tone and that familiar smell. "What do you want?" He snapped, flaring his wings out and then wrapping them around himself.

"I want to talk." The clone stated as he walked forward, his own wings flared out behind him, a position they hadn't left since he woke up from the cryopod. "I want to understand why you're treating me like this."

Lance wanted to snarl and growl and be pissed, and he was, but at the same time, that voice was doing something to him.

It always did just because it was his mate's voice. It was Shiro's voice and face and wings and so much more.

But at the same time, it wasn't.

"Just go away." He wanted to sound strong and able, but it came out weak and quiet. He was faltering and he knew it. Too much longer and he'd fall completely under that stupid spell of mates. Even though he knew this wasn't Shiro, he also knew that all the components of the physical sense of his mate was there.

"I want to make this work." The clone stated as he stepped closed to the Black Paladin. The younger man had refused to relinquish his position and so the clone had been forced to stand to the side as a tactical guide. "I want to make us mates again. I want to fly with you again."

Things that Lance wanted too, but with his Shiro. Not with this fake ass clone. He wanted his mate back. He wanted to have his true mate and fly with him and hold him close and so much more. "You aren't him."

"But I am." The clone was getting agitated now. Lance was fighting him all the time, refusing to acknowledge that they were supposed to be together. How they were supposed to lead and fight together, but he was refusing it and it was frustrating him. "I am you mate! We mated that first night of our trust fall! We became one after flying together!"

"That wasn't you!" Lance screeched, bringing his wings closer to him. "That was my Shiro! My Mate! You aren't my Shiro!" He cried as tears fell down his cheeks.

Hands grabbed hold of the black wings at the joint, forcing Lance to be ripped away from Black and thrown to the ground. He cried in pain as his wings took the brunt of the fall, spasming in pain.

Then he felt the hands in his hair, forcing his head to look up into furious onyx eyes. But something was wrong, very wrong with this picture.

The pupils were glowing purple.

"This was supposed to go an entirely different way." He stated as a vicious smirk spread over his face, wings flaring around them so that the two were hidden from view. "You were supposed to take me back and relinquish the Black Lion to me." His hands moved from his hair, caressing his cheeks, and then moving down to wrap around his throat. "Give me access to Voltron and Lotor."

Lance gasped in a breath as the hands squeezed around his neck, struggling to get the larger avian off of him. His wings were pinned awkwardly beneath him though an it was impossible to flare them out at the moment.

It only got worse as his legs were forced apart and the man settled in between them. "No…" He croaked out as he kicked his feet out, trying to get the other off of him while scratching furiously at the human hand for release.

"You were supposed to be mine." The clone said as he moved his hips a little and his human hand moved up back to Lance's cheek, caressing it. A finger moved to wonder down below his eye. Lance scrambled to fight the mechanical one off of his neck as it pressed further against his throat. "We could have had the universe Lance. We could have stopped all the rogue Galra and stood at Lotor's side together." His wings fluttered a bit as a pleased grin covered his face. "We were going to lead Voltron together." He lowered his face, brushing his lips against Lance's own gasping ones. "You are mine." He whispered.

"No…" Lance tried to twist his face away, but he couldn't, the grip on his neck was too tight. Too much.

His vision was darkening.

He didn't want this. He didn't want this clone. This thing that was forcing itself on him.

Even now, he could still feel the other's hips moving against him, unwanted friction as the other took what he wanted.

Dios Mios, just let him die.

'Shiro, please.' He pled as he caught a glimpse of Black through the feathers.

Just as his vision began to disappear entirely, he heard a roar.

WS

"Lance!" Shiro screamed as he felt the lessoning life of his mate. "LANCE!" He turned out, wings flared and a snarl on his face. "Black! You have to help him!"

The world was rolling like waves. He knew that the other was in truly deep shit if Black was reacting like she was.

He growled as he focused on the waves, trying to figure out what was happening outside. "What's happening to him? What's going on? Lance!" He felt the life start to lesson even more. Lance didn't have a whole lot more time.

"We have to save him!" He pled, not taking notice of how the stars began to move towards him. "He'll die if we don't!"

That was the moment that the stars slammed into his body and light blinded him.

WS

"What the hell?" Pidge shouted from her place on the couch, looking at where the roar had come from.

"That was one of the lions." Allura frowned as she got up and took off, Pidge right behind her.

"Hey, was that a lion I heard?" Hunk questioned as he met them on the way to the hangers. "What's going on?"

"We don't know, but we're going to find out." Allura stated as she appeared at the door to the Black Lion's hold. There, she saw the other Altean standing there with wide eyes and disbelief on his face. "Coran! What is go…" She stopped as she turned to the open door and took in the scene in front of her, wondering what in all of Altea was happening.

Hunk and Pidge froze as well as they stared at the scene in front of them.

The Black Lion was crouched over, head tucked in between her paws as her eyes glowed a bright yellow, purple bleeding into them slowly.

Then there was Shiro, held up against the wall by his throat, pupils glowing purple with a snarl on his face.

It was the glowing purple with little sparkles version of Shiro that was holding the other to the wall that had them all standing there in disbelief.

"You stay away from him." The purple Shiro snarled as he pulled his fist back and slammed it into the other's face.

"He's mine!" The normal looking Shiro snarled back. "I earned him, and he is my mate! I should do as I wish with!"

"He's not a fucking toy! He's a human being!"

"He's still mine!"

"HE'S NOT YOURS! HE'S MY MATE!"

"What the fuck!" Pidge screamed as she took in the scene fully. "What the hell is going on here!? Why is there two Shiros!?"

"Why is the one glowing like a glow stick?" Hunk questioned next.

"He's not the real Shiro!" The glowstick shouted.

"I am too! I'm not glowing like some demented nightlight!" The normal Shiro snarled as he kicked out, but it went right through the middle of the other's stomach.

Though the punch to his face sure landed as it broke his nose. He hissed at the glowstick before rapidly flapping his wings, trying to escape. His arm glowed purple and swung, but once more it just went through the other Shiro.

"It's my bond with Black!" The glowstick stated as his own wings expanded further behind him. "She's giving me strength to be here. I've been in Black this entire time! I've died! This thing isn't me!"

"Allura?" Hunk questioned uncertainly. He had never seen something like this before and he didn't understand what was happening.

"It is possible." Allura agreed as she looked at the glowing Shiro. "We've already seen the Lions share their energy with Lance. It isn't beyond the realm of possibilities to take another person's energy into their own to preserve their lifeforce."

"Though it would definitely be something else entirely." Coran stated. "The lions seem to be evolving at a much faster rate than they did with their previous Paladins. It's unprecedented."

"Humans are more than capable of change and adaptation." Pidge stated as she turned back towards the two Shiros. "That means that we can do what we need even in the worst of conditions." She narrowed her eyes at the two before a smirk appeared on her face. "It only figures that it's Shiro who ends up as the giant black light."

"Hey!" He shouted at them. "Are you going to help me get him contained before I disappear or what?"

"Oh, ah, right!" Hunk agreed and moved forward with Coran right behind him. "Is there a place we can keep him without him causing any problems?" He questioned the older Altean.

"We can always store him in a cryopod, like I and Allura had been." He suggested. "That could work for a long-term solution for now."

"Sounds good to me." Hunk agreed as he reached for the other man.

"Wait." The glowstick said as he shoved his face into the other's own. "If you ever even think about touching him like that again, I'll kill you."

With that he slammed his fist into his head, knocking him out cold. With that he handed the body over to Hunk before turning towards the Black Lion.

Hunk took the fake and held tight, keeping his hold as he watched his once leader walk back towards his Lion. "Are you really dead?" He questioned.

"I am." He stated as he came to a stop just before Black's muzzle. "You need to get up so I can get to him."

They all watched as Black sat up straight, allowing Shiro to walk forward to where a pile of black feathers was laid out on the floor. He settled on the floor next to them, gathering them into his arms.

It was only then that the group realized that it was Lance, face pale while the area around his eyes and nose were swollen. His neck was riddled with black finger like bruises. His suit was torn in several places, two on his thighs and one on his stomach.

"Lance?" Pidge questioned with furrowed brows. "What's he doing down here?"

"Number three always comes down here to speak with the lions when he is under great stress." Coran explained as he looked at the two mates. "He must've come down here after our argument up in the common rooms."

"Where he was cornered by the fake." Allura sighed as she ran a hand over her face. "He was right all along."

"And we just ignored him." Pidge growled angrily.

WS

"Oh Lance, I'm so sorry." Shiro said as he held his mate in his arms once more. "I should have got here sooner."

The younger male was beat black and blue, and his face was swollen. It was obvious that he was choked out until he passed out. Not to mention that the position he had ripped his fake from spoke of molestation and attempted rape.

It wasn't like his mate hadn't already suffered enough.

He ran a hand over his cheek and then over his swollen eyes and then into his hair. It had been so long since he held his mate and now, he could. Even if just for a limited time.

"I can't stay with you like this." He said softly as he looked at his glowing hand. Black's energy would only last for a little longer. He'd have to return to the astral plain soon. "But I'll always be here for what you need." He said next as he laid a kiss on his forehead.

With that he began to fade.

He smiled down at Lance, taking in all of him, the good and the bad. He settled his forehead against the other's. "I love you Lance McClain."

"Shi….ro." Lance whimpered in his sleep.

"That's right Lance, me, Shiro." He returned as eh slowly settled him on the ground and onto his side. He didn't want to agitate him too much. "I'll always be your Shiro." With that he disappeared completely.

Only to reappear on the astral plain and away from the others.

WS

"Princess?" Lotor called as he walked down the halls to where he knew the Black Lion rested at the moment. "I heard the roar, is something the matter?" He questioned as he looked around the room.

He could see the big one holding the Leader, unconscious in his arms. The little one and the Princess were knelt next to the newest Black Paladin while the Orange haired one stood near the big one.

"Lotor, I'm afraid we were infiltrated by Haggar." She explained as she pointed towards the unconscious form of Shiro, or the clone. "It seems she had been able to make a fake Shiro and put him on board with us. Lance tried to warn us, but we didn't listen to him."

"And now he's suffering for it." Pidge snarled as she ran a hand through the other's hair. "He tried to tell us, tried to let us know that he knew his mate like no one else did, but we thought he was just confused. That that thing was Shiro and we could trust it."

"We made a mistake." Coran agreed as he motioned for Hunk to follow him. "We will have to make sure to correct it." With that he led Hunk out of the room and to the medical room.

Lotor blinked at this and looked back towards the Black Paladin. "Will he be alright?" He watched the Princess pick him up, the gorgeous space like wings dragging on the floor like a used mop.

"Eventually. He will be in the Healing Pod for a while yet." She assured him. I do not know for sure if he will be alright mentally though. This was a shock and something that could send him back into a feral state later.

She hoped not.

"Well, as long as he'll be alright, I don't see a problem." He glanced back to where Coran and Hunk had disappeared. "Though with a spy in our midst, we must take precautions."

"Yes, well, I have a plan for that as well." She explains with a soft smile on her face.

WS

He sat on the ground of the Astral plain, looking around and taking in the darkest parts of the area. The soft purr of Black reassuring him that all was okay but what he had seen of Lance, he knew that it wasn't.

The other would be hurt and in pain and suffer from another different trauma. He probably wouldn't want the others touching him for a long while. Especially since his mate wasn't there to support him and help him heal.

It was a sad thing that he couldn't help him from here, but hopefully someone else could. Lance would need all the support he could need to heal from this latest setback.

He sighed again as he wrapped his wings around himself and hid his face in his hands. "If only I could be with you again Lance." He said to himself.

It seemed like hours that he sat there.

Nothing changed.

The stars were still in the sky and the ground was still purple with a darker purple for the surroundings.

But then there was a roar and the area around him shimmered with a bright blue energy. "Black?" He asked as he stood up slowly, looking around as the energy closed in on him. "What's going on?" HE questioned slowly, unsure if the energy was there to hurt him or to help him.

_Go home._

The voice was low and strong and guttural. But it was powerful and commanding all at the same time.

"Black?" He questioned as the energy converged on him completely.

_Go Home My Paladin._

_WS_

Everything felt heavy to him for some reason.

Black wasn't heavy at all. She was light like air and fluid like the breeze. She could move how she wanted. Fast or slow. Soft or hard.

That was what it was like to be in her as well. He was kept light and easily moved around. He never felt heavy anymore. Like he was floating on air and kept high in the sky. He was safe in Black, but he was away from all the others at the same time.

He focused on moving his arm and it shifted, slowly and heavily. His head ached as well. He took a breath.

Wait…

He took another breath, feeling the air enter his lungs. A sensation he hadn't felt since he had died.

The dead didn't need to breathe after all.

He groaned as he tried to force his eyes open.

"Hey, it's okay." A voice came to him, a hand landing on his cheek. "You're okay Shiro."

"La…nce?" He croaked out; the syllables intelligible.

"Shh, it's okay. You need to rest. You need time." That hand ran over his face and up into his hair. "I'm here, Shiro, I'm here."

He released a weak rumble at that, along with a very dull trill. He wanted to see his face. He wanted to see those ocean blue eyes. He wanted to see his smile.

With that thought, he forced his eyes open.

Closing them with a groan at the bright light. It was too much and a pain, but he had to see him.

"Shiro, I'll be here when you wake up again."

Except he wasn't sure if he'd wake again.

He forced his eyes open, blinking rapidly as he looked up into the face he so wanted to see again.

Bright beautiful blue eyes.

"Hey there love." Lance said as those eyes misted over. "It's good to see _your _eyes." He stated as he leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Goo…" He trailed off as his voice failed at the moment. "Lan…"

"I know, I know. You're still working on reforming in the body. Allura said it was a near thing, you almost rejected the body." Lance explained as he shifted them so that Shiro's ear was against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You'll need to rest, and I need to rest. We'll rest here in our nest, where we're safe."

Shiro gave another soft rumble with a chirp this time. It was okay now; he'd be able to rest and relax. He wasn't sure how he was returned or how he had a heartbeat, but it could wait for another day.

Now he just rested and get strong once more. Right here with his mate. Reunited.

WS

A.N. This got way deeper than I thought it would. Either way, it's going just as I plan. If you haven't guessed, things are going to change a bit in this universe. How much is still going to hopefully be a surprise. I would like to hear from you guys about what you think. Do you think this is going well and that things are making sense? Or is it getting confusing and you are getting lost. Well, either way, just let me know how you're liking it.

I would like everyone to think about some of the authors on Fanfiction that died recently or a while ago. Some of them died in tragic accidents or illnesses and have left stories unfinished or had others finish them for them in memory. I would like everyone reading this to lower their heads, clasp their hands together and pray for those who have been lost. Allow there to be a moment of silence for wherever you, the reader, are and remember not just the writers here on this site but those who have been lost in your life or in tragic events.

Please remember that life is short and that you should love those in your life while you can and show your appreciation for water comes into your life.

Again, thanks to those who have lost their lives for spreading inspiration through their works.

I've written a story that wasn't exactly all cuddles and snuggles and some of the comments made my blood turn to ice. I worry for those who suffer from abuse of any form or depression of any form and so I decided to look for numbers to offer to those who need them. So I hope all of those who need one or more of these numbers will make use of them.

You all are loved, and I pray that none of you give up on your life because of the assholes around you. Know that we are here for you and all you need do is reach out and we'll all help where we can.

Suicide: 1-800-273-8255

Bullying: 1-800-420-1479

Self-Harm:1-800-366-8288

Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Lifeline: 1-800-784-8433

Greif Support: 1-650-321-3438

Depression: 1-630-482-9696

Drug/Alcohol: 1-877-235-4525

Eating Disorder: 1-630-577-1330

Mental Health: 1-800-442-9673

Abuse: 1-800-799-7233


End file.
